Across the Sea
by Lt. Basil
Summary: "It came. The lightest brush against his mind, felt from a great long distance, pulled him abruptly out of his meditations one day. A hauntingly familiar presence had touched him, just briefly... His eyes widened. 'It can't be...'" Major spoilers for Episode VII. Also... theories about Rey's origins. Three-shot.
1. Connecting

**IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS YET, STOP READING RIGHT NOW. THIS PIECE CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS.**

 **You have been warned.**

He always saved them in his dreams.

He'd run faster, fly further, try harder to get through to Ben, or inexplicably be there to stop the _Horizon_ from crashing down on the dusty surface of Jakku (though in reality he'd been parsecs away taking care of some diplomatic incident that he couldn't even recall anything about anymore). He'd bring Ben back to the light side. He'd pull Mara into an escape pod and flee the crashing starship beside her. He'd scoop his daughter up in his arms and carry her _away_ from the danger. In every scenario, they were safe. Whole. Free.

And then he'd wake up. And he'd remember. And there was nothing in the galaxy – no, nothing in the _entire fekking universe_ that even cut close to how much it hurt him.

He wondered if this was how his father had felt… knowing that he couldn't save the people that he loved… being partly responsible for their deaths… hating himself as he never had before. The ache in his chest, the longing, the pain… it was so _real_ , so _strong_ , almost like a literal presence pounding beneath his throbbing ribs.

The guilt, the despair, the agony and the fury… it burned him, scorching the tattered remnants of what once had been his soul. Grief overwhelmed him – grief for the nephew he had failed to help, the wife he had been unable to protect, the daughter he had never had the chance to meet – and it was all that he could do to keep himself together. Living in isolation on the sight of the first Jedi Temple, he would sit alone with the ghosts and the memories and just focus, day in and day out, on breathing.

Breathing, it seemed, was all that he _could_ do.

And then… it came. The lightest brush against his mind, felt from a great long distance, pulled him abruptly out of his meditations one day. A hauntingly familiar presence had touched him, just briefly. Hardly daring to breathe, he closed his eyes and probed the connection. It was still there, though it had retreated somewhat, pulling back into the darkest folds of his mind. Steeling himself, he reached out a little more to follow the connection.

He was met with a blast of darkness in the face. A familiar mixture of anger, hate, resentment, fear, guilt and pain bubbled into his senses, and he frowned.

Ben.

Beyond his nephew's presence, though, is something else. Something… lighter… innocent… and so, so familiar…

His eyes widened. _It can't be…_

Then the connection was abruptly severed, and he was left in the dark once again. Sitting atop one of the many moss-covered stones dotting the surface of the island, he gazed out over the endless array of water, head spinning. That presence… it couldn't be… but what other explanation was there? Groaning, he dropped his head into his hands.

And once again, Luke Skywalker was alone.

 **Part 2: Luke and Rey's meeting during the last scene of the movie, and how I think it could play out.**

 **All explanations of Rey's heritage in this are purely theories – theories which I am fairly confident in, but theories nonetheless. So take these with a grain of salt, OK?**


	2. Waiting

**Hi again!**

 **So I know that I said that part 2 was going to be the last scene from TFA, but this chapter just kept dragging on and on and on so I decided to split it into two. So now this is the three-shot.**

 **I don't own TFA (sadly) and I'm not the original creator of the theory presented in this piece (though I adopted the theory independently of them),**

It was several months before Luke felt the presence again.

By now he had become accustomed to being alone – that was why he had come here in the first place. He hadn't felt the presence of another sentient in a long, long time. He'd hoped that it would stay that way… but then, the Force always seemed to take sick delight in throwing a wrench in his plans. Ever since that first journey with Old Ben…

He'd just started his midday meal when the presence brushed up against his mind again. Luke froze with his spoon halfway to his mouth. The whole island had gone still. He couldn't hear the lapping of waves on the rocks, the wind whistling over the cliff face, or the cawing of shorebirds as they searched the tide pools for food. Every other presence in the immediate vicinity flickered out of focus. The old Jedi sat perfectly still, his head held erect and his eyes just starting to water.

And there it was again – stronger this time, growing in confidence… and so familiar that Luke's heart nearly broke. Closing his eyes, he reached out for it.

It was easier this time; the difference between an accidental connection and an intentional one was not difficult to spot. And this time, there was no Ben nearby to mask it, no swirling darkness to choke out that strong and persistent light that he felt peeking into the dark recesses of his mind. The connection was strong.

Luke was almost certain that he was going to cry.

It pulled back again, like it had on that night all of those months ago, but he could still feel it tingling on the edge of his consciousness. Inactive for now – but the bond had already formed. Or maybe it had simply been renewed.

Whatever the case, it was still there.

Over the following weeks he would feel it sporadically, a gentle probe against his mind, seeking him out earnestly. Each time it was a little stronger, a little clearer. It was getting closer. He had quickly figured out that it was searching for him – not just his presence, but his _location_. He knew he should've pulled back from it, but he couldn't bring himself to.

Not now. Not after all of the years that he'd spent thinking that he would never feel it again.

So he waited.

 **Please leave a review if you have time. Reviews make my day.**


	3. Meeting

**So… last chapter! I swear, this is the first time that I have ever finished a fic with more than one chapter in less than a week. Nice to know that I can actually** _ **do**_ **that…**

 **Enjoy! And tell me what you think!  
**

Nearly a month after he had felt the presence the first time, Luke heard the familiar hum of a ship's engine passing over his head. Looking up, his face split into a wide grin upon seeing the familiar, scruffy hull of the _Millennium Falcon_ pass over his head.

He shouldn't have been happy that it was there. He shouldn't have been happy that he'd been found.

But he was.

Standing up straight at the highest point of the mountain, Luke pulled his hood over his head and waited. It would take some time for his visitor to climb up the rock face to meet him, so he had plenty of time to gather himself while he waited. Closing his eyes, the old Jedi drew in a deep, rattling breath. He didn't need the gentle probing to sense the presence now; it was clear now, so tantalizingly and alarmingly close that he didn't even need to _try_ to feel it for it to make itself know to him. It was just… _there_.

The sound of footsteps on the stones behind him increased his nerves all the more. He could sense the presence clearly now, barely twenty feet away, facing his turned back. Luke's throat closed up. He didn't turn around. He couldn't.

Silence reigned for what felt like an eternity, Luke with his back firmly turned away from the person behind him. Tears blurred his vision; he blinked them away rapidly. He didn't dare to look, afraid of what he'd see in his visitor's face. What emotions would be there? Hope? Pain? Resentment? Would the child hate him?

Then… a familiar brush against his mind. A soft voice, young, desperate and somewhat childlike in nature, whispered to him. _Please turn around. Please._

Bracing himself, Luke removed his hood… and complied.

Though he had never seen the young woman staring back at him before, he knew instantly who she was. Her eyes were hazel in color, bright and intelligent and belying an incredible pain. Dark hair had been pulled back in a style clearly chosen to keep it out of her face (though a few strands had escaped and were hanging in her eyes). The familiar cut of her jaw – so much like his own – was lifted in a challenging manner. Her pose was confident, her face determined, as she looked him in the eye. She was so much like her mother…

It was then that he took notice of the object in her hand. He stared, dumbfounded, as she held it out to him.

It was his father's lightsaber.

"Luke Skywalker?" she asked tentatively.

Luke started, as if woken from a trance. He shifted his gaze back to the girl's face, but said nothing.

She shifted her feet nervously. "I believe this is yours?"

He glanced back at the lightsaber hilt. The voice that came out of his mouth as he answered was hoarse and hollow. "Not anymore."

Her eyes narrowed, but she said nothing. Her hand remained extended expectantly. Luke could tell right away that she would not be discouraged so easily. _Just like Mara…_

"I assume that you've come to take me back," he remarked dryly. Why else would she be here, after all? After spending nearly fourteen years fending for herself, without him or Mara there to assist her, it seemed unlikely that she'd have come because she wanted to see _him_ again. Assuming that she recognized him at all… and it didn't look like she did.

A tiny trace of a smile played at the corners of her lips. "Something like that," she replied. "The Resistance needs you." After a moment's hesitation, she added; "Your sister needs you."

The mere mention of Leia was like a punch in the gut. Luke flinched and averted his eyes. "I ruined her life," he muttered. "Trust me; I'm the last person she needs."

The girl scowled. "You're the last person she has!" she snapped. The hand holding the saber had lowered a little bit, but still she held it out to him even as she seethed. He blinked, confused. But… what about…?

"Han Solo is dead," she said, as if reading his mind. A glimmer of tears was forming in her eyes. She blinked rapidly, trying to expel them. "Kylo Ren cut him down right in front of me."

Luke stumbled back, at a loss for words. Han… dead? No… it couldn't be! He would have felt it… right?

But deep down, he could tell that she wasn't lying.

He sighed. "When…?"

"A few months ago," she replied. Her eyes squeezed shut. "There… there was nothing I could do." Grief pulsed from her in waves, making Luke want nothing more than to cross over to her and embrace her, but he refrained. As far as she was concerned, he was just a stranger. Embracing her would likely just make her uncomfortable, and he had no desire to alienate his own daughter.

Instead, he stepped forward at last and lowered her arm. "I'm not making any promises," he said flatly. She wilted slightly. "However –" he jerked his head towards the cave where he'd made shelter. "Why don't we step inside and discuss this?"

The girl did not seem entirely pleased with this response, but she nodded in agreement. Smiling slightly, Luke turned back towards his home and started walking. His daughter trailed behind him, her presence threaded with uncertainty but her stride purposeful and steady as she followed.

And despite himself, Luke Skywalker smiled.

 **So… there it is. Not sure about that ending (endings are so hard to write!) but overall it doesn't look** _ **too**_ **bad…**

 **Anyway… I hope you enjoyed it! And have a Merry Christmas!**


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